August 2009 ~ Live Cricket

IPL gives South Africa board turnover of over USD 11.4 m

The staging of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa early this year helped the Cricket board there record a turnover of more than USD 11.4 million for the 2008/2009 season.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) had initially budgeted for a loss of nearly USD 10 million, the board's Treasurer Hentie van Wyk said at its annual meeting in Johannesburg.

Van Wyk said the CSA made an operating profit of nearly USD one million as a result of stronger negotiations, bigger broadcast deals, increased sponsorships and the board's successful hosting of international tournaments.

He said the CSA now has a healthy cash reserve of USD 21 million and had enjoyed "one of its most successful season during 2008/2009".

The favourable variance to budget was mainly due to interest received on increased cash balances, fee income related to the Champions League, IPL-related income, increased sponsorship and international broadcast revenue, he said.

"In many aspects, our positive financial results reflect the benefits to cricket of improved structures, expertise and management at all levels," Van Wyk said.

11:09 AM

Wisden Editor believe Jayasuriya is the greatest 50-over cricketer

Legendary New Zealand cricket writer Don Cameron and Scyld Berry, Editor of Wisden, believe that Sanath Jayasuriya should be regarded as the greatest one-day player of all time.

Cameron, who was the New Zealand Herald Cricket Correspondent between 1960 and 1998, believes that Sanath Jayasuriya, who will be part of Sri Lanka’s squad at the ICC Champions Trophy 2009, is deserving of this title, as cricket fans across the world discuss who they believe to be the world’s leading one-day cricketer.

"I have chosen Jayasuriya because he has led Sri Lankan cricket for close on half his 40 years, and whether blasting centuries or fiddling batsmen out with his subtle left-arm slows, plays cricket with a smile on his face, and magic in his fingers," said Cameron.

"And when he and Romesh Kaluwitharana played their explosive opening innings as Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1995-96 he brought new life to a one-day game that was strangling itself in theory. From a personal point of view he is a cricket-writer`s dream."

Meanwhile, Berry agrees that it was the method in which Jayasuriya played the game which makes him deserving of this crown.

"In the past, batting was defensive and bowling was attacking. Now, as a generalisation, it is the other way round. And nobody has done more to bring about this change than Sri Lanka`s Sanath Jayasuriya, to my mind the greatest of 50-over cricketers," said Berry.

"I can still remember how shocked England were by their World Cup quarter-final of 1996 in Faisalabad. In their philosophy they had never dreamed of an opening batsman who hit every ball from the start, admittedly on a flat wicket, without playing himself in.”

"Romesh Kaluwitharana made crash-ball 20s and 30s. His partner, Jayasuriya, scored fast and big: over 12,000 ODI runs in his career, and the second most centuries after Sachin Tendulkar, and all scored at almost a run a ball seizing the initiative for his country.”

"If this is not enough to seal the deal, Jayasuriya has been - until Ajantha Mendis came along - Sri Lanka`s second best spinner after Muttiah Muralidaran, and taken more than 300 ODI wickets. A brilliant left handed all rounder, his powerful hitting made all formats of cricket more exciting for us all."

10:49 AM

Salman Khan may or may not buy IPL team

There are contradicting reports whether the Bollywood icon, Salman Khan, is going to own a team in the future editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) or his recent meeting with the IPL Commissioner, Lalit Modi, was nothing more than a courtesy call.

It was reported the other day that Salman Khan had shown interest in buying a franchise in the IPL but brother Sohail Khan denied the news.

"It's not true. Salman is not buying any IPL team. Yesterday when he was shooting for Dus Ka Dum I called up bhai and asked him whether it was true and he denied it," brother Sohail was quoted as saying.

The speculation grew from the moment Salman had a meeting with Modi at a suburban Mumbai hotel and it was Modi who broke the news of Salman’s interest in owning a cricket team which he was going to introduce in 2011.

"He has been interested in buying a team for quite some time. Today, we had a brief meeting and I explained how to go about with the task. I can assure you that Salman is not the only star who is thinking of buying a team. I have had around 28 queries and the list will surely go up," Modi announced.

But the sources close to Salman indicated that it was just an informal meeting and the Bollywood star did not meet Modi with an aim to own a team, he just asked him what's happening with the IPL and some other details.

If Salman in indeed interested and does make a successful bid, Salman will join an impressive list of Bollywood stars who own IPL teams. Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla have a shareholding in Kolkata Knight Riders while Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty have invested in King’s XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals respectively.
The IPL, launched to cash in on the popularity of Twenty20 cricket following India’s conquest in the inaugural World Cup of the shortest version of the game, brought in huge sums of money.

The multi-million dollar Twenty20 series featured almost all top international players and it became an instant hit with the entertainment element and the overwhelming official support from the movers and shakers of the game.

Lalit Modi is the man behind the show and he remains eager to lure the celebrities to explore how they could join the bandwagon. Obviously the stars of Bollywood prove more than useful tool in selling cricket as well. The greater number of stars that the tournament attracts certainly helps in further boosting the profile of IPL.

It remains to be seen if Salman Khan, with his preoccupations, does decide to have a go at the IPL. Apart from Salman, Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt are also reportedly interested in owning IPL teams.

"He (Salman) is aware of the price of a franchise, which will be between US $200 to US $300 million. He has been keen for some time now, so he was curious about the process of auctions and the money involved,” Modi claimed in a television interview.
The request for proposal and tender for the two new teams will be floated by December and the auction will take place in January 2010. This is done to give the new owners enough time to set up a team and participate in the auction for IPL 4 for the new players.

2:43 AM

Pakistan and Australia would clash each other in two Twenty20 internationals

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that Pakistan will host Australia for a Test and T20 series between July 5 to July 25 next year.

The itinerary released by the ECB has a packed summer session, with England beginning the season with a two match Test series against Bangladesh followed by a three match one-day international series.

The itinerary for 2010 international matches in England:

Pakistan and Australia would face each other in two Twenty20 internationals and two Test matches in England in 2010.

England v Bangladesh: May 27-June 17

England v Australia: five one-day internationals, June 22-July 3

Pakistan v Australia: two Twenty20 internationals, two Tests, July 5-25

England v Pakistan: four Tests, July 29-August 30, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals, September 5-21.

4:11 AM

Ponting may lose one day cricket captaincy

Ricky Ponting has become the first Australian captain since Billy Murdoch to have surrendered the Ashes in England two times. It was a closely fought series in 2005 and the hosts were in possession of a very strong and balanced outfit led by the inspirational Michael Vaughan.

Ponting had a younger outfit at his disposal when he returned to defend the Ashes, after having snatched it most emphatically at home in the interim period, in the summer of 2009. England too had a relatively inexperienced side with Andrew Strauss having taken over the reigns of captaincy only last winter.

Many experts rated Australia as the favourites to win the Ashes battle despite the fact that Ponting’s boys had not been all that inconsistent during the past one year. They were finding it difficult to regain supremacy in the absence of the stalwarts like Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath.

The Australians did possess a formidable bench-strength but their management probably overestimated the youngsters on the basis of their performance in the domestic competitions or in the limited opportunities at the international level.

Obviously Ponting would also have been a pat of the strategy to get the old guard replaced with new blood. But there is a thin line between confidence and over-confidence. The Australians were ruling the world because they had been blessed with an outstanding team and the captain didn’t have much role to play in motivating or guiding the tried and trusted campaigners.

I maintain that it was a blunder on part of the Australians to have let go all their champion characters so quickly. There was still a lot of cricket left in them when the impression was being created that they were over the hill.

Australia, I reckon, would have been a much stronger proposition if people like Warne, Hayden and Gilchrist were still around. Their outstanding performance in the Indian Premier League was a clear reflection of them being in fine shape.

Ponting should share the blame for fast-tracking the exit of the veterans. Being the captain he should have batted for them even if the management had the plans to replace them.

Now it’s Ponting’s turn to face the music. There are many people who desire his head to be put on the chopping block. Although the Board has come out in his support, besides some of his teammates, the feeling has frown that his days in office are numbered.

Ponting has said that he’s is open to the idea of handing deputy Michael Clarke the leadership responsibilities for the Twenty20 and one-day teams, and preserving himself for Test cricket. He has no other options either. He must have realized that the countdown has begun and it’s the beginning of the end for him.

Ponting himself got the one-day leadership in 2002 while Steve Waugh was doing the business in Test cricket. They shared the captaincy until Waugh quit the game 2004. Since then Ponting was the first-choice captain of Australia's Test, ODI and Twenty20 sides.

Now Clarke is most likely to be handed over the reigns for ODI and T20I with Ponting to lead the team in Tests only.

4:07 AM

No need of 50-over ODIs

Twenty20 has rendered one-day cricket irrelevant and the 50-over format should be done away with, according to spin great Shane Warne.

"I`ll say it again, one-day cricket should go. It has evolved into Twenty20," said the Australian legend, asserting the game would be better off with just two formats.

"Cricket only needs two forms of the game. Something needs to be done about scheduling: it`s been going on for too long," Warne wrote in his column.

The leg-spinner, who led Rajasthan Royals to a fairytale triumph in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League, remains a staunch supporter of the Twenty20 format and believes one-dayers simply has no business in the international calendar.

Warne was equally critical of Australia`s post-Ashes schedule which pits them against the same English side for a seven-match ODI series.

"Unfortunately, Australia now plays a series of ridiculous limited-overs matches against England, and then more one-dayers in South Africa and India, before the next Test in Brisbane in November.

"It is a joke that any international team has to play seven ODIs after a five-Test series against the same team," Warne said.

"There are only nine Tests between now and the next Ashes series in Australia at the end of next year, but a ludicrous number of one-day cricket in the same period," he added.

Dwelling on Ashes, Warne said it hurt him to see the side lose the urn.

"It hurts. It hurts a bloody lot losing the Ashes. I really felt for Ricky Ponting and the Australian team after seeing Andrew Strauss lift the little urn at The Oval. It took me back to Michael Vaughan doing the same in 2005, and how it felt to lose the Ashes for the first time in my career. I understand how all the Australian players must have felt," Warne said.

"The vultures are circling and looking for answers, but to me it`s pointless and destructive to sling criticism about why we lost the Ashes. It is more constructive for those in charge to work out how to move forward.”

"Many members of this team were playing in their first Ashes series, but there comes a time when the transition period is over. How long is that period?" he asked.

1:58 AM

Bollywood Actor Salman Khan interested to join the IPL band wagon

Mumbai: After the news of two more teams being added to the extravagant Indian Premier League in 2011 started doing the rounds, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan took maximum interest in the report.

The actor has showed interest in purchasing an IPL franchise for the 2011 edition and he also met the League’s Chairman Lalit Modi on Wednesday to discuss the feasibility of the prospect.

The report was confirmed by Modi when he said that Salman had approached to discuss all the pros and cons of buying an IPL team. Modi also confirmed that the actor would be buying one of the new teams and was not interested in any of the existing ones.

“We were having a discussion for last few months but this is our first official meeting,” Modi said.

Modi said although it was too early to say anything but he felt the actor was a “serious buyer”.

“He was interested to know what it takes to own a team, what’s the process, when it will be initiated and what’s the timeline for it. I think he is a serious buyer,” Modi said.

IPL is set to introduce two new teams in the 2011 season and the franchise may “cost over USD 200-300 million.

Asked if he was interested in any particular existing team or a new team, Modi said “it’s for a new team”.

It has been learnt that Salman eyes to buy either Nagpur or Kochi team.

A lot of Bollywood actors are a part of the cash-rich T20 League with Shah Rukh Khan owning the Kolkata Knight Riders, Preity Zinta with partner Ness Wadia owning the Kings XI Punjab, and Shilpa Shetty, with beau Raj Kundra, owning the Rajasthan Royals.

Modi also dropped hints that more celebrity names might come up with the process going into the later stages as it was a hot venture at the moment.

“We have large number of people interested in it with over 20 celebrities asking to become franchisees, although I don’t want to name them,” he said.

Modi also admitted that having a film star added to the glitter of the event.

“It does add to the spark (of the event),” he said.

Asked whether other Bollywood stars like Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt were also keen to bid for IPL teams, Modi said these were just speculation.

“Honestly speaking, none of them have approached us. These are just speculation. It is too early to say who are the people who will bid for the teams”, he said.

Modi said the IPL organising committee will inform all the prospective buyers once it begins the bidding process.

Salman-SRK rivalry has been doing the rounds currently after the latter was detained in an airport in the US for security check. Salman’s comments went against King Khan when he said that he (Salman) has always been checked and frisked while traveling in America and SRK’s issue should not be given much importance.

1:55 AM

I will quit one-day cricket by 2015 World Cup win

Victory in the Ashes series in his swansong Test was a perfect way to bid adieu to Test cricket and now Andrew Flintoff longs to end his one-day career on a similar high: by winning the 2015 World Cup.

Flintoff, who underwent a knee surgery last night, said he is keen to return to cricket field.

"Obviously there are no guarantees but, having spoken to the surgeon, I`m confident I`ll be able to get back on the field. However long the rehab takes I`m prepared to do it to give myself the best chance of playing international cricket again.”

"I want to play at the World Cup in 2011 and the one after that too. I`ve finished my Test career with an Ashes victory and I want to finish my one-day career with a World Cup win in 2015. That would be perfect," Flintoff was quoted as saying.

The burly all rounder also revealed how emotions overpowered him after playing the final Test of his career at The Oval on Sunday.

"I admit I was tearful. And then I saw one of the Sky Sports cameras hovering and thought `Nobody`s seeing my crying`, so I nipped into the toilets, gave myself a minute, got myself together and got on with the job of celebrating."

5:07 AM

Flintoff signs off on a highs

Andrew Flintoff’s Test career has come to an end rather prematurely. The versatile England all-rounder was having serious fitness over the past few years and he probably made the right decision to quit the longer version of the game.

He was a potentially great cricketer but somehow could not do justice to his talents. He couldn’t produce the kind of consistency which the champion all-rounders like Tony Greig and Ian Botham had done for the country before him.

Yet Flintoff was a colossus for the team and his presence in the field was certainly a source of encouragement and inspiration for his teammates. He was one of those tough characters who awed the opponents.

Andrew Strauss and his team could not have wished a better sendoff for the big all-rounder than the massive win over Australia in the fifth and final Test at The Oval that allowed England to regain the Ashes.

Ideally Flintoff would have loved contributing more substantially in his farewell Test but he would obviously be delighted with the end result. It was a comprehensive victory over the Aussies and more importantly it enabled England to lay their hands on the Ashes that has not stayed for long with them during the last couple of decades.

Flintoff, however, had a hand in bringing about the victory on the penultimate day of the decisive game. With Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey on song, the Australians were cruising in the afternoon session and there were hints of the contest getting tighter than was being anticipated at the start of the innings.

It was Flintoff’s brilliant direct hit that found Ponting short of his crease and ended the threatening partnership. The run out of the Australian skipper opened the floodgates and England cashed in to seal the fate of the game.

It was a magnificent piece of fielding that not only brought to an end the dangerous partnership but also boosted the morale of the side whose shoulders were beginning to drop during the onslaught.

Flintoff was a tough guy on the field but he knew the importance of human qualities. "I would rather be regarded as a decent bloke rather than any sort of cricketer I might have been. That is far more important to me. Whatever you do on the cricket field is one thing, but being able to face yourself in the mirror every day and say 'You're not a bad egg', that is far more important. Cricket is one thing, but I want some friends afterwards,” he observed rather modestly.

"I don't think I ever achieved greatness and I don't profess to. I was asked, 'have you been a great cricketer', and the obvious answer is no. That's the Bothams, the Sobers, the Imran Khans, the Tendulkars, the Ricky Pontings, who achieved greatness over a long period of time by playing Test after Test after Test,” he added.

"I have had an Ashes victory twice, I have had a Test career where I have played 79 Test matches, and hopefully I will go on playing one-day internationals, so from a professional point of view I am happy. For the bulk of my career I have played through pain and with injury, so to be out on the field was an achievement in some ways. But is that greatness? No," Flintoff conceded.

10:29 PM

Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina felicitates ‘Bengal Tigers’

Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina described the country’s cricket team, which scored back-to-back series victory against West Indies and Zimbabwe, as “tigers” and promised measures to promote the game.

Tiger is an allusion to the famed Royal Bengal tiger.

Felicitating them here Saturday, Hasina used another epitaph which is used for describing the country itself - she called the cricketers “golden boys”.

Bangladesh is described as “Sonar Bangla” (golden Bengal) in its national anthem written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Hasina invited the cricketers to her residence to congratulate them for their historic series win against West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Rising from the loss of some of their stars to the Indian Cricket League (ICL) last year, the cricketers trounced West Indies in two-Test and three- one-day series that was followed by their 4-1 one-day series victory in Zimbabwe.

Hasina announced a prize of Taka 300,000 (USD 4,300 approximately) for each winning cricketer.

Hasina garlanded the cricketers, saying: “The whole nation is proud of you. You are our golden boys.”

A “grand reception” would be given to them after the end of the mourning month of August, which marks the killing of the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members. Hasina is the daughter of Mujibur Rahman.

Stand-in Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan thanked the prime minister and presented a cricket bat signed by the team as well as the winning trophy.

“Just carry on the hard work with integrity. The government and the people will be with you,” a Bangladesh news agency quoted her as saying.

On the same day Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarker declared Taka 50,000 (USD 700 approximately) reward for each player at a reception party accorded to them.

2:55 AM

Strauss made something different

If anybody deserved to claim the coveted Ashes trophy at The Oval on August 23 it was Andrew Strauss. The England captain had only led from the front but he also contributed the most significantly to the success of his team.

Although there was a Man of the Series from either side, I have little doubt in my mind that Strauss would have edged out Michael Clarke if there were a single award. So awesome was the contribution of the England skipper who gave a perfect exhibition of leading by example.

Strauss was rewarded for his persistence and leadership qualities. He changed gear at will at top of the order to provide a stable platform for his teammates who must have felt motivated by the consistency of their captain.

Strauss was able to execute his plans nearly to perfection primarily because he was scoring runs in nearly every outing in the middle. Conversely it certainly becomes a different ball game when the captain of a team is unable to perform.

He scored close to 500 runs in the five-match series at an average of over 50. The second highest scorer in the series from England, Matt Prior, was way behind the skipper. Prior made 261 while Strauss aggregated 474.

England would have been in deep trouble without the contributions from Strauss, let alone coming anywhere close to Australia and they could have been in danger of facing another massive series defeat.

Strauss held the key to England’s fortunes in their bid to regain the Ashes and he rose to the occasion splendidly to engineer the most famous win of his career yet.

"For me, I suppose it is better than 2005, because I've captained the side. But we've moved forward from then, there are different personalities involved, and a different management team as well," Strauss observed.

"It's one of those situations that you can't prepare yourself for, and you don't let yourself think about that moment in case it never comes. We were all just running around like idiots, to be honest. That's as special a moment as you'll get on a cricket field - 2005 will live long in my memory, and these two moments are as special as anything I'll go through," he added.

“We went through so many emotions today. "Hope, frustration, worry... despair at times when we didn't look like taking a wicket. You don't realise how hard it is to get over the line until you do actually get over that line," he said while recalling the tension and excitement of the day when the Ashes came into his grabs.

"It feels pretty special to be standing here right now. It feels like a lot more than seven or eight months ago when I took over. There's been a lot of water under the bridge, because we were in a pretty bad state, to be honest with you. But it's an amazing day, and one that seemed a long way off after Headingley. But all credit to the guys, because they had to dig deep. An Ashes series forces a player to dig deep, and the guys have done that and come out fighting. It's a special moment for all of us," the England captain reckoned.

2:49 AM

England clashes Australia in decider to regain Ashes in style

Andrew Strauss and his men proved me right by outclassing the once mighty Australia in the fifth and final Test at The Oval to reclaim the Ashes in style. With 197 runs separating the two sides in the all-important battle there could not be any argument who was better equipped to tackle the pressure.

The experts as well as the bookies firmly believed that the momentum was with Australia entering the fifth Test but I had concluded my write-up on August 11 having said: England, I feel, can still turn it around in the decider at The Oval because there’s not much to pick between the two sides.

I don’t think many people agreed with my observations as they were unwilling to England a chance after the debacle in the fourth Test at Headingley where Australia had registered a comprehensive innings victory.

The reason why I backed England even after their massive defeat in the previous game was my conviction of Strauss being an inspiring leader with the team right behind him. I had a feeling that the Australians would be found wanting if challenged by the scruff of their neck.

I expected England to post at a least 400 on the board when Strauss himself led the charge on the first morning. With just one wicket down and over a hundred runs in the bank in the first session the platform was set for the hosts to put together an imposing total.

It was a bit surprising to find Paul Collingwood take so many deliveries to get a feel of the pitch in at a stage when the Australian bowlers were looking ragged after being counter-attacked by Strauss and Ian Bell.

Australia pulled it back by dismissing Bell and Collingwood in quick succession. The run out of debutant Jonathan Trott didn’t help England cause either and they must have felt let down by the middle-order when bowled out for 332 early on second day.

Stuart Broad’s sensational spell later in the day destroyed Australia and the home side was in great position to seal the fate of the game. The ever-improving Broad swung the ball appreciably to bring about the collapse that literally ensured the return of the ‘urn’ to the Mother country.

It was the turn of debutant Trott to steal the limelight in England’s second innings. He scored a magnificent century to stretch the overall lead past the magical figure of 500. The youngster took the lead from his captain whose second half century of the game was equally crucial as the first one.

Australia had more than two days to get to the target and when they ended the third day at 80 without loss there were quite a few people who thought they could still rewrite history.

The records are meant to be broken and the history is ought to be rewritten. But with available resources it was next to impossible to anticipate one coming at The Oval on August 23.

Michael Hussey played his best knock of the series but never did he look in a position to change the course of the match. The run outs of Ponting and Michael Clarke were resulted by the alertness of the England fielders who sensed blood and meant business.

Steve Harmison operated at over 90 miles an hour to demolish the tail quickly to prevent the game entering the final day. Off-spinner Graeme Swann was rewarded for his good work and it was probably in the fitness of things that he took the final wicket.

2:45 AM

Pakistan will beat India in Champions Trophy: Gul

UAE:Pakistan has never beaten India in an ICC tournament and pacer Umar Gul says his team is desperate to break the jinx when the two sides come face to face in next month’s Champions Trophy in South Africa.

“While every match will be important, the game against India, as always, will be special for both the sides. No rivalry can match that between India and Pakistan and I think the September 26 match will be something billions of people all over the world will be waiting for,” Gul said.

“For us, the match is also important for the simple fact that we haven’t beaten them in an ICC event and we’re desperate to break that sequence,” he added.

“I believe we have an excellent team for one-day cricket and it is the combination that makes us a quality side. The return of Mohammad Yousuf and Rana Naved has provided further impetus to the side which is bubbling with confidence after its victory in the ICC World Twenty20 in England in June.”

“But we’re aware that it is not going to be easy at all in South Africa and we’ll have to be at our best all through to win,” Gul said in an ICC news letter.

Pakistan is grouped with Australia, the West Indies and India. Gul said the Pakistani team is high on confidence after winning the World Twenty20 Championships in June but is also feeling the pressure of expectations.

“Although it is a different format, it is always good to go in as a champion side because it gives you that extra confidence which is vital in big tournaments. However, our victory in England has raised the bar of expectations and our supporters want us to win everything. That puts us under more pressure.”

India is the only country that has won all the three major ICC events – the 50-over World Cup (in 1983), ICC Champions Trophy (jointly with Sri Lanka in 2002) and ICC World Twenty20 (in 2007).

Gul believes it is Pakistan’s turn to add the one trophy which is missing from its cabinet by winning the eight-nation tournament to be staged from September 22 to October 5.

5:54 AM

Sahara will sponsor BCCI Corporate Trophy 2009

Mumbai: Sahara will be the title sponsors of the newly introduced 12 team BCCI Corporate Trophy which will start in four centres on September 1.

Four matches are scheduled on the opening day of the tournament for the Sahara Corporate Trophy at Mohali (Group A), Vishakhapatnam (Group B), Dharamsala (Group C) and Bangalore (Group D).

Three teams make up each group and the winners of each pool would enter the semi finals to be held on September 5 and 6 at Bangalore and Mohali.

Nimbus Communications is the media partner for the event and three preliminary matches, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement today.

The winners of the September 8 final at Bangalore are to receive Rs one crore as prize money while the runners-up would get Rs 50 lakh.

The man of the series would pocket Rs two lakh and the man of the match Rs 50,000, the release added.

The match schedule:

Sep 1: ITC v Air India - Blue, Mohali (Group A); BPCL v MRF, Vizag (Group B); Tata SC vs All India Public Sector Sports Promotion Board, Dharamsala (Group C); BSNL vs Air India Red, Bangalore (Group D).

Sep 2: ITC vs Indian Revenue, Mohali; MRF vs ONGC, Vizag; AIPSSPB vs Indian Oil, Dharamsala; BSNL vs India Cements, Bangalore.

Sep 3: Indian Revenue vs Air India Blue, Mohali; BPCL vs ONGC, Vizag; Tata SC vs Indian Oil, Dharamsala; India Cements vs Air India - Red, Bangalore.

Sep 5: 1st semi-final (B1 v D1), Bangalore.

Sep 6: 2nd semi-final (A1 vs C1), Mohali.

Sep 8: Final at Bangalore.

10:37 PM

MCA meeting Gavaskar to attend on Sep 16

Mumbai: Sunil Gavaskar would chair the first meeting of the newly constituted Cricket Improvement Committee of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) here on September 16.

The meeting comes in the wake of Mumbai captain Amol Muzumdar`s decision to play for Assam in the upcoming domestic cricket season.

Mazumdar is one the verge of becoming the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy as he is just 31 runs short of the record.

Mazumdar broke on the national scene in February 1994 with a double century (260) on debut against Haryana.

"Mr Gavaskar has asked that the meeting of the CIC be convened on September 16 afternoon," Hemant Waingankar, MCA Joint Secretary, said.

Gavaskar has not held any post in the MCA after serving it for a brief period in the early 1990s as a co-opted member of the managing committee.

Waingankar said the new senior and junior selection committees and the coaches for different Mumbai outfits would be chosen at the meeting.

Asked about the decision of Muzumdar, Waingankar said over the years a number of people have left the 38-time Ranji winners ranks and played for other state units and a few had even returned to play for the oft-crowned national champions.

"Why only Muzumdar, Kshemal (Waingankar) and Wilkin Mota too have written to us that they are going to play for others," he pointed out.

Waingankar, a promising medium pacer, got very few chances to break into the Mumbai ranks and has opted to play for Goa this season while all rounder Mota will turn out for Tripura.

Seasoned leg-spinner and former Mumbai captain Sairaj Bahutule is also tipped to play for Assam, but the MCA official insisted that no formal letter has been received by the MCA from the concerned player.

"Thus far we have not got any letter from Sairaj that he wants to play for another team," he said.

10:33 PM

England in a great position to win Ashes says Broad

Fast bowler Stuart Broad believes that England are in a great position to win the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval after bundling out the Australians for 160 and taking an overall lead of 230 runs on the second day of the game.

Broad who contributed significantly to the Australian collapse by claiming five wickets for 37 runs, said: "We are in a great position. It was a fantastic experience for me, everything we did seemed to work.”

"The first hour in the morning will be crucial. We have some big hitters with the likes of Freddie Flintoff and Matt Prior and if we can get some more runs, we can build a great platform," he added.

While admitting that England did not want to lose wickets in its second innings, he said: “But to see what the ball is doing off the pitch gives us great encouragement. I``ll take setting them 400 to win.”

"It was great to have my family here. My mum lost her voice and I could see her in the crowd. My sister works for the ECB so I guess she played her part too. My dad has his Ashes story, I hope to have my own by Monday,” he was quoted as saying.

10:13 PM

Pakistan Association of Mind Sports join hands with Chess players’ body

The Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) has moved a step forward by having signed an agreement with the Pakistan Chess Players Association (PCPA) on August 20 to carry out their mutual objective of further development of the mind sport in the country.

The agreement was signed by Tariq Rasheed Khan, Director, MSAP and Shahzad Mirza, Secretary General, PCPA, with two former officials of the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP), Shah Nawaz Khan and Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, being the witnesses.

As a result of the agreement, the MSAP and PCPA will now join hands in particular for the Inter-Collegiate venture besides carrying out other chess promotional events from time to time.

The agreement has been signed initially for a period of three years and thereafter it could be extended to tenure of three more years with mutual consent.

The MSAP has recognized the PCPA being, founded last August, as a national body of the top chess players and organizers.

The PCPA, on its part, has agreed to unconditionally place their resources at the disposal of the MSAP, having reaffirmed its commitment by signing the agreement. It has been clarified that separate Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) will be signed specific between MSAP and PCPA for future events.

Tariq Rasheed Khan, Director, MSAP, described the signing of agreement with the PCPA as a big step towards the further promotion of chess in the country.

“The longest of journeys commence with the first step. We are delighted to have on board the active chess players and organizers who could really make things happen on a fast track,” he reckoned.

Shahzad Mirza, one of the only two International Masters of chess in Pakistan, also believed that the MSAP support for the PCPA would be hugely beneficial in generating more activities from the grassroots level.

“The PCPA has come alive with this agreement. This was the impetus we needed to make our presence felt on the scene in a big way. Our joint efforts would certainly help in raising the standard of chess in Pakistan that’s very much on top in the list of our priorities,” he added.

The agreement between the MSAP and the PCPA augurs very well for the future of mind sports in general and chess in particular. Together they can certainly take the game to another level.

It’s indeed a pity that like many other sports, chess has also suffered due to the politicking by the national federation whose officials have actually done more harm to the game instead of having contributed anything for its development.

The emergence of the MSAP last year was a blessing as they arrived on the scene with some concrete plans and more importantly the idea was to ‘give’ rather than ‘take’ anything away from it.

Bridge and scrabble are the other two games being promoted by the MSAP who are fortunate to be having visionary leaders like Khurshid Hadi and Tariq Rasheed Khan. Both these gentlemen are from the sport of bridge but they are equally interested in promoting chess and scrabble.

1:09 AM

IPL Players need NOC from their home Board for a two-year period.

Delhi: As a measure of its commitment to safeguard international cricket, the Indian Premier League has decided that all IPL players, including retired cricketers, should provide a No Objection Certificate from their home Board for a two-year period.

The IPL will also not allow a cricketer to play in the cash-rich Twenty20 League if he skips participating in an approved Future Tours Programme event and instead opts to play for a franchise in the League.

A communication to this effect from IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi has been sent to all the cricket boards last night, a media release said today.

The world`s premier Twenty20 League has also set a deadline of August 25 for all its franchises, eight in number currently, to disclose all the contracts they have signed with all the players.

"The IPL would update the player registry and publish a finalised list of registered players with the league on August 27", the release said.

The IPL has also advised its franchises not to use agents for hiring new players and instead deal directly with the cricketers in the wake of problems faced by the cricket boards because of some agents misguiding players and the franchises with detrimental effects on global cricket, the release said.

10:00 AM

new assistant coach for Pakistan

Mohtashim Rasheed will replace former Aaqib Javed as the assistant coach of the Pakistan cricket team for next month`s Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Besides, official sources today said that the board has also replaced assistant manager Mohammad Ahmed with Shafqat Rana.

"The changes have been ordered for the Champions trophy because the governing council at its last meeting felt there was a need to change the support staff in the team," one official said.

He said the contracts of coach Intikhab Alam and manager Yawar Saeed was also being reviewed.

"Aaqib who was also the bowling coach has been sent back to the National Cricket Academy and Mohtashim who has worked as fielding coach with the national team takes his place," the official said.

He said Shafqat Rana, a former Test player and national selector, has been brought in because of his vast experience and to provide support to Yawar Saeed.

"The board will once again review the performances of the support staff after the Champions Trophy and former Pakistan captain, Rashid Latif is expected to be given a major position in the board," he added.

9:57 AM

Asif will be back for Champions Trophy, Razzaq will left

Dope tainted pacer Mohammad Asif was recalled while seasoned all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who quit the ICL to play for the country, was left out as Pakistan today announced its 15-memberc squad for the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

"We would have liked to have him in the team but unfortunately we can only pick 15 players and he has struggled for fitness in Sri Lanka," the former Test spinner said.

Senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf, however, has retained his place in the team.

The selectors also debated on the inclusion of experienced opener Salman Butt but the chief selector said it was decided to go with just one opener Imran Nazir since Pakistan had the option of makeshift openers in Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi and even Fawad Alam and Shoaib Malik.

Asif, who was suspended for testing positive in the Indian Premier League last year, will complete a 12-month ban on September 22, the day the tournament begins in South Africa.

He was even banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board in July, 2008 for the same offence and also for his 19-day ordeal in Dubai in June last year.

Pakistan chief selector Iqbal Qasim said Asif, who last played an ODI in April 2008 against Bangladesh, was drafted into the team after careful assessing his form and fitness.

"Asif has been picked after a careful assessment of his match fitness and form by the selectors and also by former captain Rashid Latif, who supervised his training in the emerging players camp here," Qasim said.

Qasim said Asif was considered for the team as the Champions Trophy does not start until September 22 and there is ample time for him to train hard and recover his fitness.

"The report we have got is he will be 100 per cent match fit and is bowling well."

Qasim said the selectors had tried to pick a balanced squad for the eight-nation tournament and were forced to drop Razzaq

The squad: Younis Khan (Capt), Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Muhammad Yousuf, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Rana Naved, Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftkhar, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul.

Reserve players: Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Talha, Wahab Riaz, Shaharyar Ghani, Khalid Latif.

9:35 AM

India is going to become top ranked ODI side

The Indian team has had the habit of disappointing their fans with the most horrible performances against the run of play. For some reasons they have not been consistent enough despite being in the possession of a quality outfit.

At times one gets the impression that the movers and shakers in the Indian Board are quite content in watching their team take the second position when they appear quite capable of being on top of the three.

The Indians don’t really look all that keen to attain the number one position. It’s hard to comprehend their reluctance to occupy the top slot. Be it a tournament or the rankings of the International Cricket Council (ICC) they make others feel that they are more than happy to be placed among the top teams rather than being the leading outfit.

There have been numerous tournaments over the years when the fancied Indian outfits have fallen away in the final after being in the driving seat throughout. I think they have lost more one-day finals than any other team.

The latest ODI rankings issued by the ICC, following the conclusion of the recent Zimbabwe-Bangladesh series show India just one point behind leaders South Africa. It very clearly means that Mahendra Singh Dhoni stands a very good chance of taking his team to the top of the points table if his team plays to its potential in the upcoming triangular series in Sri Lanka.

That’s a million dollar question. Will the Indians aim for the number one ahead of the Champions Trophy being held in South Africa next month or will they remain contended with the second spot.

We have seen it so many times the Indians giving it away against unfancied opponents. Neither Sri Lanka nor New Zealand have that kind of powerful team as India but one can’t be sure if Dhoni’s men would be pushing hard for victory.

If the Indians do go hard at both their opponents there’s very little chance of them not accomplishing the goal of winning the tournament and taking the number one position in the rankings. We need to wait a little to know that.

South Africa currently occupy the top position in the ICC’s ODI ranking with 127 points while India are just a solitary point adrift at second position. Australia are placed third with 119 points while England are number four with 111 points.

New Zealand (110), Pakistan (109) and Sri Lanka (104) are not that far behind on the next three positions but the West Indies have only 78 points to be at the eighth position.

Bangladesh, on a high of late, are fast closing the gap having accumulated 55 points to be ranked number nine. The tenth position is taken by Ireland with 27 points with Zimbabwe having slipped to the second last position on the list with only 26 points. Kenya remain at the bottom, not having gained any point yet.

10:07 PM

Businessman purchases Mangalore cricket team

Mangalore, August 19: City-based Congress leader and businessman B.A. Moideen Bava has purchased the Mangalore team for Rs. 4.23 crore at the auction held by the Karnataka State Cricket Academy for the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) cricket tournament on Wednesday.

The purchase, made in the name of Bava’s Fizza Developers, has raised the hopes of many aspiring cricketer here, who had to be hitherto content with playing low-key divisional matches. The coaches and officials of the Dakshina Kannada Cricket Academy too are likely to figure in the team’s scheme. Among the top contenders for the jobs of team officials are Kasturi Balakrishna Pai, Samuel Jayaraj Muthu, and Devdas Naik.

Pai is one of the oldest and most respected cricketing figures in the DKCA and his association with the sport in the district goes back many decades.

Muthu, also an official in the DKCA, is a KSCA level-B and BCCI level-A certified coach. Devdas Naik is a KSCA level-A and BCCI level-B certified coach. Sources in the cricketing circles said that the team franchisee had initiated talks with these three.

Asked about the top players in the district, who might figure in the Mangalore Team, Muthu said the right-hand opening batsman and wicketkeeper, K.L. Rahul (17), right-arm medium pace bowler Mohammed Arif Mukka (22), right-arm leg-spinner Sinan Abdul Khader (18), and right-arm medium pacer Umesh Kharvi (22) were prominent names to be considered.

These players had represented the State at various levels and are touted to be top contenders for a berth in the team, said Muthu. Bava himself was unreachable and his aides told that he was still in Bangalore.

11:27 AM

Resurgence of bookies threatens cricket once again

The Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has to become more vigilant now in view of the recent ‘disclosures’ of the resurgence of the illegal bookmakers.

Sir Paul Condon, the Chairman of the ACSU, was absolutely right in having pointed out in the ICC meetings in Dubai and London during the last one year or so that the Twenty20 cricket posed the greatest corruption threat to the game since the dark days of the 1990s.

The Twenty20 tournaments, having been organized during the past couple of years, are believed to have provided the perfect opportunity to the bookmakers to renew their contacts in the cricket circles.

As we are discovering now, the bookmakers were not going to limit themselves to the Twenty20 events once they have re-established firm foothold in the cricket arena. The reports are filtering in, albeit very slowly, that attempts were being made to ‘fix’ the matches of longer duration as well.

The news has broken out the other day that the Australian team management filed a report with the ICC's ACSU after a player was approached by a man suspected of links to illegal bookmaking.

It was reported that the approach was made in the bar of the team's London hotel, the Royal Kensington Garden, following Australia's Ashes defeat at Lord's in July. The matter is reportedly under investigation.

The Australian player was believed to have informed the senior officials immediately and, following ICC protocol, team manager Steve Bernard filed a report with the ACSU.

Not very long ago there were reports that some of the Pakistan players had been approached by illegal bookmakers at their team hotel in Colombo during their recent tour of Sri Lanka. The matter was investigated by the ACSU. The ICC's Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, declared that there was absolutely no substance to those reports.

"The ICC and its members have a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and rightly so because the integrity of our sport with its spirit is one of its greatest assets. On that basis it is entirely appropriate that any suggestions in relation to that subject are always reported to and properly investigated by the ACSU. I am pleased those investigations have indicated nothing untoward has taken place on this occasion but it is a reminder that all of us - players, officials and supporters - must maintain our vigilance to ensure we remain on top of the issue of corruption,” he was quoted as saying.

Haroon Lorgat and his team at the ICC, however, cannot be expected to sit idle because the matter is very serious indeed and it threatens the future of the game once more. If strict measures are not taken the game could suffer even more than what was witnessed in the 1990s because of the presence of so many communication tools these days.

The ICC should not be making any compromises on this issue because this concerns the future of the game.

5:56 AM

Jayawardene, Dilshan flay New Zealand in first Test

Galle, Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan pulverised New Zealand`s bowlers to help Sri Lanka make a spectacular start in the first cricket Test on Tuesday.

Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 108 and Dilshan smashed 92 off 72 balls in his new role as opener as Sri Lanka, sent in to bat under an overcast sky, recovered from 16-2 to 293-3 by stumps on a rain-curtailed opening day.

Jayawardene, who gave up the captaincy earlier this year to concentrate on his batting, compiled his 26th Test century on the easy-paced wicket at the Galle International Stadium.

Dilshan hit the fastest Test half-century by a Sri Lankan off 30 balls, upstaging former captain Arjuna Ranatunga`s 31-ball effort against India at Kanpur in 1986.

Jayawardene put on 118 for the third wicket with Dilshan and 159 for the undefeated fourth with Thilan Samaraweera (82 not out) after New Zealand seamer Chris Martin struck twice in his first two overs.

Martin gave the Test a dramatic start when he had Tharanga Paranavitana, Dilshan`s fellow opener, edging the third ball of the match to wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum.

Martin then removed Kumar Sangakkara for eight, the Sri Lankan captain flicking a half-volley to the mid-wicket fielder after hitting two boundaries in the same over.

The start of the Test was delayed by 90 minutes due to early morning rain, although the pitch and outfield remained unaffected under the covers.

The umpires pushed back the lunch break by an hour to make up for lost time, but just 78 of the stipulated 90 overs were sent down before bad light forced play to end early.

Dilshan, who has batted in the middle order in all of his previous 55 Tests, was promoted to open the innings in order to accommodate fit-again keeper Prasanna Jayawardene.

The right-hander, who represents Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League, hit eight fours and a six by the time he reached 51 in the 11th over in Sri Lanka`s total of 67-2.

Opening the batting was the multi-faceted Dilshan`s latest role after he donned the wicket-keeping gloves in the recent three Test-series against Pakistan due to Prasanna`s knee injury.

Seamer Iain O`Brien, who bore the brunt of Dilshan`s assault and conceded 55 runs in his first six overs, denied the batsman his ninth Test century by bowling him off the inside edge soon after lunch.

But there was no further respite for the Black Caps as Jayawardene and Samaraweera settled in to tame the tiring attack.

Jayawardene reached his third century against New Zealand and the fifth at Galle when he pulled O`Brien to the square-leg fence for his 13th boundary.

O`Brien gave away 90 runs in his 14 overs, while off-spinner Jeetan Patel went for 60 runs in 15 overs.

The Black Caps will play two Tests, two Twenty20 internationals and a limited-overs tri-series also featuring India during the five-week tour.

10:42 AM

Pakistan players united, says Ijaz Butt

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt Tuesday dispelled speculations of discord within the national team, saying that the players were united and looking forward to giving their best in the ICC Champions Trophy.

The PCB chairman had one-on-one meetings last week with Pakistan team management and players in Karachi. The meetings were held with a view to scotch rumors in the media about rifts within the Pakistan team.

"Having met with manager, coach, assistant coach, captain and other team members on the Sri Lanka tour, I can say with absolute confidence that there was total harmony in the team. They were united and played as a unit," Butt said in a statement.

Butt met them soon after the Pakistan team returned from Sri Lanka after a disastrous tour, in which it lost both the Test and one-day series against the hosts.

Butt said his players are now preparing for the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa where they are aiming to repeat their ICC World Twenty20 championship performance.

Pakistan won the ICC World Twenty20 Championship in England this June but are not considered among the title favourites in the Champions Trophy which gets underway from Sept 22.

10:37 AM

Dravid will not have any point to prove

Rahul Dravid is one of those rare guys having kept the interest of his team supreme at all times. He is a perfect role model for the young generation. He has performed exceptionally well over the years without ever having said or done anything close to boasting.

I don’t think anyone in the present generation has mastered the art of batting like him. He is a complete package. Because he is technically so sound he always has the freedom of changing gears.

Like any other human being he has had occasional his off days but never has one noticed any lack of application on his part. He has always given his best. The level of consistency attained by him in the highest form of the game is exemplary.

It was so typical of Dravid to have reacted modestly to his return in India’s ODI squad for next month's tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy. He didn't consider the recall as a chance to prove his detractors wrong.

"I have never played my cricket that way, wanting to prove a point. To me, it's about trying your best to be the best you can be, day after day, in whichever format you are playing and for whichever team you are playing," the former Indian captain was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview.

"It's nice to be back, I am very happy. I am looking forward to the Sri Lanka tri-series and the Champions Trophy in South Africa, to giving it my best. It will be nice to catch up with the boys once again," Dravid said.

"I will do my best for the team's cause. I have always believed in preparing well before a match or a competition and it will be no different this time," he added.

The prolific Dravid will now be making a comeback in the national one-day side after about a couple of years. He had played in the Test matches in this period but the selectors had not picked him for the limited overs games with the emphasis being on trying out the exciting crop of youngsters.

The Indian selectors obviously had an obligation to blood the youngsters at the international level after they had done wonders in the domestic competitions. Very few of them, however, managed to do justice to their talents.

There also was a feeling that the newly installed captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not very keen to have the seniors in the line-up for the ODIs or the Twenty20 Internationals. Sachin Tendulkar, it’s believed, was also reluctantly included.

Dhoni had every right to back his boys who certainly raised the bar in the department of fielding but their batting technique was found wanting on pitched where the ball moved and darted.

Dhoni would also have realized after the recent failures of the young batsmen that it was about time to turn back to the tried and trusted campaigners for an event as important as the Champions Trophy. Dravid would be indeed be a trump card for Dhoni now.

10:32 AM

Yusuf says Irfan is the most difficult bowler to face

Kolkata: Yusuf Pathan might be a fearsome name to any international bowler, but the Baroda all-rounder himself finds facing his younger brother, left-arm pacer Irfan most difficult.

Although colleagues in India team, they faced each other on a few occasions during the Indian Premier League, where Yousuf played for Rajasthan Royals and Irfan was in Kings XI Punjab team.

"Irfan has always been very difficult to face. He knows my strengths and weaknesses very well. So it`s difficult to get him out of the way," Yousuf said on sidelines of a promotional event here today.

"It`s difficult to face each other in a match. We have faced each other a few times during the IPL and it`s the most difficult part. But we are professional cricketers and want to do well for our respective teams. There is no friendship or relationship on the field," Yousuf added.

Asked whether he would miss Irfan, who was ignored for next month`s tour of Sri Lanka and Champions Trophy in South Africa, Yusuf said, "He was not there in the last series (in West Indies) as well. But it`s all about doing well for the team. Winning is most important."

The cricketer is also happy with his performance. "At my batting position, what is needed is to score quick runs which I am doing very well and I am very happy."

"Apart from Yusuf, (Adam) Gilchrist who is thankfully retired now and is playing only in IPL was another respected name. He is very hard to bowl at... No matter how you bowl to him, he will cut your line and length," said Irfan, who was accompanying his elder brother.

"Among Indians, Sachin Tendulkar is quite tough to bowl at. He has answers for all your deliveries. Thankfully I don`t have to bowl at him in international cricket," he added.

Irfan has recently found his match in Shivangi Dev, an Australia-based chartered accountant.

"It`s true that he has got his match. I am sure parents are looking for me as well and this will happen soon," Yusuf said.

11:41 AM

Welcome to Rahul Dravid

What a great move by the Indian cricket authorities to have recalled Rahul Dravid in the one-day arena! I think they did realize finally that life was not all about glamour and lights. The tough characters generally play the pivotal role in bringing about the results be it the entertainment industry or the field of cricket.

When we talk of mental toughness, the one man who comes to mind right away is Dravid. He was probably sidelined from the One-day Internationals in order to accommodate the enterprising youngsters who were knocking at the doors for some time.

The young guns like Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma have been provided the opportunity up the order but they have not been able to deliver consistently yet. The selectors have lost faith now in Sharma at least for the time being, after his run of poor scores of late, but the left-handed Raina has made the cut once more.

Dravid’s recall has been prompted by quite a few factors. Obviously the recent failure of Sharma and other young lads in challenging conditions must have created doubts about their abilities to cope with the pressure.

Dravid’s own performance in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) staged in South Africa earlier this year was brilliant. He had proved the point that skills and experience were the vital elements even in the shortest version of the game.

Thirdly the upcoming Champions Trophy was going to be held in South Africa where the pitches would not be as flat as the ones in the Indian sub-continent. The selectors had to keep in mind the importance of grafters for conditions unfriendly for batting.

The selectors have done the right things by going back to Dravid instead of blooding another raw youngster and jeopardizing his future. It’s always a wise move to go back to the basics.

India would need the expertise of Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar for putting the big totals on the board. The likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh can do the business in the latter part of the innings but they would love to have wickets in hand when going for the acceleration in the death overs.

The presence of Dravid brings stability to the Indian batting that has been found wanting more often than not in conditions not ideal for batting. He can anchor the innings and more importantly his sound technique would allow him to weather the early overs when the ball does a little bit extra.

Dravid has been a class act throughout his career. He is a team man to the core who is always there to lift the morale of the side. He will indeed feel greater energy in his legs now for the selectors have reposed confidence in him for the big challenge ahead.

With the Indians having a lethal fast bowling attack these days, Dravid is more likely to remain stationed at the slips instead of doing the running around in the outfield. The stage is set for him grab the headlines once more.

11:15 AM

India fall-back against DRAVID -THE WALL

Mumbai: India’s Champions Trophy aspirations received a jolt when it emerged that dashing opening batsman Virender Sehwag would not feature in the otherwise strong 15 member squad named for the 8 team extravaganza in South Africa next month.

While Sehwag missed the cut due to fitness concerns, India’s batting was bolstered by the return of stalwart Rahul Dravid into Indian one-day team after a 2 year hiatus.

Dravid, who is a regular part of India’s Test set-up, last played an ODI for India way back in the October of 2007 against Australia where he managed just 51 runs from 5 innings.

Dravid’s re-induction seen as a result of India’s Twenty20 World Cup debacle in June this year where the young turks were seen struggling against the short ball.

Meanwhile, as expected, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who off late has been selective when it comes to participation in one-dayers, too makes a comeback into the squad for the showpiece event scheduled for September.

The Mumbai Maestro last played one-dayers for India in February during India’s tour of New Zealand.

Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni would shere the willow wielding duties along with the above mentioned gladiators.

Following impressive performances on the domestic circuit and then the IPL in South Africa, young Abhishek Nayar too gets a look in for the Champions Trophy at the expense of Rohit Sharma.

Dinesh Karthick got the nod as the back-up wicket keeper in the tournament.

In the absence of Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Ashish Nehra would be leading the Indian pace attack in the pacer friendly conditions of South Africa.

They will be supported by prodigious RP Singh and Praveen Kumar.

The spin department would be taken care off by ace offie Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra, with support from all-rounder Yusuf Pathan.

Talented tweaker Pragyan Ojha unfortunately faces omission.

Team:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Dinesh Karthick, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra

10:28 AM

IPL revived my ODI career, says Amit Mishra

New Delhi: Back in the one day fold after six long years, leg-spinner Amit Mishra reckons it was his success in the second Indian Premier League in South Africa which resuscitated his ODI career.

The chubby leggie has been struggling to shed the Test specialist`s tag and repeatedly pointed to his success in the Twenty20, considered an excessively batsman-biased format, to make his point that he can excel in the shorter formats as well.

The reward finally came with the selectors Sunday picking him for next month`s tri-series in Sri Lanka and the subsequent Champions Trophy and Mishra said he owes his comeback to IPL.

"The selection in the ODI team is a reward for the hard work I have put in over the last few years. I am really very happy because at last my struggle paid off.”

10:26 AM

Coventry’s World Record notwithstanding, Bangla seal win

Bulawayo: Zimbabwe`s Charles Coventry equalled the highest individual one-day international score on Sunday, but saw his big-hitting party gatecrashed by Tamim Iqbal as Bangladesh wrapped-up the one-day series here.

Coventry blasted an unbeaten 194 to equal former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar`s 12-year record, as Zimbabwe piled up 312-8 in their 50 overs, but Bangladesh opener Tamim then hit his country`s highest individual score of 154 as the tourists took victory with 13 balls to spare.

"I was due for a big innings. I was getting good starts but not big hundreds. It would have felt better had I finished the innings," said Tamim.

Coventry praised the tourists for their battling response.

"Well done to the Bangladeshis for the way they chased. We`ll be out there trying the hardest the next time," said the 26-year-old, who was playing in his 15th one-dayer.

He dominated Zimbabwe`s innings with the next highest score a more modest 37.

Coventry hit seven sixes and accelerated from 129 in the 42nd over to 180 in the 47th as fans wondered if he would become the first player in history to hit a one-day international double century.

But he had to settle for a share of Anwar`s record although Bangladesh could have dismissed him earlier when Mahmudullah dropped him at square leg on 137.

Coventry shared an 82-run stand for the second wicket with Hamilton Masakadza as the home side eyed levelling the five-match series at 2-2.

But they reckoned without 20-year-old left-hander Tamim who first of all made his third half-century of the series before going on to hit his highest score in his 60th international.

Tamim`s 154 came off 138 balls with seven fours and six sixes.

Zimbabwe skipper Prosper Utseya looked for positives in defeat.

"The innings of 312 wasn`t enough. But our game is improving. We`re playing international cricket and we missed chances that should have been taken. 3-2 sounds better than 4-1 and we need to come back strong and play well for the fans."

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was overjoyed at another series win which followed their historic Test and ODI sweep in the West Indies.

"Tamim batted magnificently, can`t get better than that. We played very good cricket against West Indies and this series too, everyone chipped in but we need to improve our fielding," said Shakib.

"Cricket is the most popular game in Bangladesh and we thank out fans for their support."

The final match of the series is here on Tuesday.

10:23 AM

Glad to get a break after Ashes: Ponting

relieved at being promised a short break after the Ashes as senior players like him risk exhaustion if they don’t get enough rest in between the choc-a-bloc cricket calendar.

“Rest is really important for all the senior players during such a long and hectic schedule, with no break in our program until April next year. That means almost a year on the road for some of us,” Ponting wrote in his column for an Australian daily.

Ponting will sit out of two Twenty20 games and the start of the seven-match ODI series against England after the Ashes.

“I’m grateful to Cricket Australia for giving me a couple of Twenty20 and one-day matches off after the Test series,” he said.

Australia is tied 1-1 with England in the Ashes after winning the fourth Test at Leeds inside three days. Ponting said the early finish came as a welcome break for players.

“...it was great to give the guys a couple of days off. Ben Hilfenhaus jumped on a train and went to Paris, Marcus North visited his in-laws in Newcastle, Michael Clarke went off to London and I chilled out with my family for a couple of days in Leeds,” Ponting revealed.

Ponting lauded Cricket Australia for giving regular breaks to his teammates and said CA is the best board in the world when it comes to handling players.

“Cricket Australia has been terrific in recent years at finding a game for me to have off here and there with the bigger series in mind,” he said

10:19 AM

Lara eager to coach T&T team for Champions League

Trinidad: Former West Indies skipper Brian Lara confirmed on Saturday that talks between him and the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket board regarding his appointment of coach’s position are in progress.

Trinidad & Tobago would play the forthcoming Champions League.

Lara will not be able to join the squad as a player as the rules govern that the team must be the same as the one that participated in the domestic competition.

“I haven’t been approached but we have had discussions on it,” Lara said in an interview.

“I think we really want to come to a mutual understanding of exactly what Trinidad and Tobago cricket wants to get out of Brian Lara. I think you are going to play in an international tournament for the first time, we’re accustomed to playing regional tournaments but we have to know exactly what the pitches are going to be like.”

Trinidad and Tobago to name provisional squad for CL T20

T&T are the team from West Indies to participate in the competition. The tournament also includes three teams from India, two teams each from Australia, England and South Africa and one each from Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

International players like Brendon McCullum, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Dale Steyn, Virender Sehwag and Daniel Vettori will be showcasing themselves in to tourney

“The opposition is on an international stage … so I see some merit in it but to know exactly what role I’ll be playing, I’m not so sure. If they see I can be an asset, it is something I’ll definitely look at.”

10:16 AM

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